This invention relates generally to vehicle luggage racks. More particularly, this invention relates to removable devices for reducing wind noise from vehicle luggage racks.
Many vehicles are equipped with a luggage rack to facilitate the carrying of luggage on the outside of the vehicle. The luggage rack is usually located on the roof or trunk of the vehicle where it is exposed to high wind speeds as the vehicle travels along the road.
Generally, the design of the luggage rack comprises two load-carrying bars in a parallel and spaced relationship to each other with both bars situated normal to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Each bar is typically supported at each end by a stanchion, and each stanchion is made fast to the vehicle. It is also common for such luggage racks to be adjustable, where adjustment is achieved by moving both stanchions of a bar fore or aft on the vehicle. In this way the roof rack is adjusted as the distance is changed between the bars.
The load-carrying bars may present noise problems when the vehicle is travelling at a high speed. One possible problem is that air whistles as it moves past the bar. Another possible problem is that the bars vibrate as they move through the air. Both of these problems cause undesirable sounds such as whistling or howling in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
When confronted with the undesirable sounds, the occupants may desire to remove the luggage rack from the vehicle, particularly if the luggage rack is not being used to carry luggage. On some vehicles, however, the luggage rack is either permanently attached or inconvenient to remove. It is also possible that the luggage rack is frequency used and it would be inconvenient to repeatedly and frequently install and remove the rack. In these situations, it is desirous to have an apparatus capable of reducing or eliminating the noise while the luggage rack is attached to the vehicle. To this end, there are known devices that attach to the bars to disturb the airflow as it moves across the bar. One such device is an adhesive strip that has an irregular surface exposed to the airflow. The adhesive strip is attached lengthwise to the bar so the exposed irregular surface disturbs the airflow. Another type of device slides lengthwise into a channel formed into the bar. This device, like the adhesive strip, has an exposed irregular surface that disturbs airflow in an attempt to reduce or eliminate the undesirable noise.
While these known devices appear to be capable of reducing noise, they also present new problems. The first problem is that the known devices are, for all practical purposes, permanent once installed. In addition, once installed the devices may interfere with the capability of the rack to carry luggage. For example, many carrying accessories are available that attach to the bars and are adapted to carry irregular shaped luggage such as skis, bicycles, boats, and other such recreational equipment. With the known noise reducing devices attached to the bars, it is likely that the carrying accessories will no longer adapt to fit the bar properly. If the carrying accessories will not adapt to the bar and noise reducing device, then it would be desirable to be able to remove the noise reducing device in such a way that it could be replaced once the carrying accessory is removed from the load-carrying bar.
Another possible problem with known devices is that they don""t adapt well to all of the existing shapes of bars. For example, the adhesive device may not adhere well where the bar has an irregular surface or a surface radiused such that the device cannot conform to the radiused surface and mate with sufficient surface area for the adhesive to be effective. Similarly, the known device that slides into a channel in the bar requires that the bar already have a channel with a cross section that mates with the device. If the bar and device do not mate, the noise-reducing device can not be secured to the bar as intended.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for reducing or silencing wind noise from vehicle luggage racks, where the apparatus may be repeatedly installed and removed.
In accordance with this aspect, a removable noise-reducing cover is provided where the cover has an elongated main body with at least one noise reducer integral to the surface of the body. The body is adapted for repeated removable attachment to a luggage rack bar.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.